The Ethics of Proselytizing

[Humanistheart]

I'm sure many are aware of proselytizing. There are countries that have or currently have laws against proselytizing certian religions.I believe on such example is china and christianity. Yet I'm sure many of us now people who, dispite the risks and the countries laws against it, have gone to spread their religion. I talked to a christian girl the other day who'd just gotten back from asia on a mission. She was forbidden to say which country she was in.

Does anyone else find this kind of action to be unethical? Is it okay to disrespect a countires laws for the sake of ones own personal religious beliefs? Thoughts?

 

[Mister Emu]

I think the laws are unethical...

 

[Papersock]

I don't think it should be illegal either.

 

[Humanistheart]

I think the laws are unethical...

So are you saying if you personally find a law of another country unethical it's okay to break it?

 

[Beaudreaux]

Look, if you're against proselytizing that's fine, but don't try and push that belief on me!

 

[Humanistheart]

Look, if you're against proselytizing that's fine, but don't try and push that belief on me!

Lol, that's a joke right?

 

[Storm]

I find proselytization rude at absolute best, but I don't think it should be illegal.

 

[Humanistheart]

I find proselytization rude at absolute best, but I don't think it should be illegal.

But it IS illegal in some places. The question then is is it unethical to violate the law in the name of your religion?

 

[Storm]

Ah, sorry.

I dunno. On the one hand, if you're sincerely trying to save souls, that's laudable, however misguided. On the other, "render unto Caesar...."

 

[michel]

One can always say "I'm not interested, thank you"..................I don't think it should be illegal, but maybe a "tamed" - a quiet "Are you interested in....?"

 

[Humanistheart]

Ah, sorry.

I dunno. On the one hand, if you're sincerely trying to save souls, that's laudable, however misguided. On the other, "render unto Caesar...."

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too with the ceasar reference.

 

[linwood]

Does anyone else find this kind of action to be unethical? Is it okay to disrespect a countires laws for the sake of ones own personal religious beliefs? Thoughts?

I think legislating the flow of ideas is unethical no matter what those ideas.

I personally despise proselytizing but don`t want laws against it.

However I routinely break the laws of my own country when I find them hollow so consider your source.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

While I think George Carlin hit it spot on with "Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself," I do not think anti-proselytizing laws are any better.

 

[Caladan]

One can always say "I'm not interested, thank you"..................I don't think it should be illegal, but maybe a "tamed" - a quiet "Are you interested in....?"

Its not that simple. what about conversion attempts against people who are socially weak and are likely targets?
prosetilyzing and conversion are far from an innocent phenomena.
how do you set a general standards between casual presentation of one's religion, and aggressive and highly active prosetilyzing attempts?
in some regards, it may create social instability, as it is simply not a good idea to try to convert people into a religion which is different than the local religion, or even at odds with it.

 

[freethinker44]

One can always say "I'm not interested, thank you"..................I don't think it should be illegal, but maybe a "tamed" - a quiet "Are you interested in....?"

I disagree with proselytizing and feel it is completely disrespectfull to "advertise" your religion like that, especially in public places, however, I would never try to limit someones right to free speech and in fact I would sign my name on any petition uphohlding someone elses right to try to convert me to their religion. But, it's not as easy as saying a simple "thank you, I'm not interested". What about funeral protesters? Should we just nod and say thank you as they tell us our loved ones died because god hates ****? Like it or not what these people are doing is proselytizing, just to an extreme level. The thing is though, US laws don't distinguish between extreme and less extreme, pushing someone is the same crime as beating them, protesting is the same as proselytizing.

 

[Mister Emu]

So are you saying if you personally find a law of another country unethical it's okay to break it?

I didn't say that...

On the other, "render unto Caesar...."

Was never understood in the sense you imply... every evangelistic act recorded in the New Testament was illegal... the religion itself was illegal...

 

[Alceste]

IMO, laws restricting free speech are generally unethical, and so is proselytizing. It's not like we need to pick which is MORE unethical - it would depend on the circumstance. For example, laws restricting hate speech and incitement to violence are LESS unethical than proselytizing to the vulnerable and ignorant for your personal enrichment (like televangelists). However, laws prohibiting the expression of political dissent are MORE unethical than proselytizing out of a genuine desire to improve the living conditions in your own community. We don't need a law prohibiting every unethical thing, nor does every law happen to prohibit a genuinely unethical thing. Laws are laws, ethics are ethics. The best we can hope for is that from time to time they overlap somewhat. IMO, going to another country to break their laws on the assumption that culture agrees with your ethics is arrogant, narrow-minded and misguided, but you wouldn't see it that way if you believe in the existence of an objective morality.

 

[darkendless]

Keep religion inside closed doors!!!!

I'd rather not see people justifying scientifically the global flood of Noah's time as fact on tv at 1am.

 

[Sunstone]

Proselytizing is just a fancy term for selling. Some selling is ethical, some is unethical.

 

[Quagmire]

Proselytizing is just a fancy term for selling. Some selling is ethical, some is unethical.

I agree. Most of the time it's like those really, really annoying info-mercials where everybody's pretending to be a lot more excited about the product than they actually are (and it shows).

I think they'd be better off giving out free samples.